


Cuffs and Coffee Cups

by Wargurl83



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Barista Dean Winchester, Destiel - Freeform, FBI Agent Castiel, M/M, Profound Bond Gift Exchange
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-14 01:16:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16483289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wargurl83/pseuds/Wargurl83
Summary: Dean’s a barista at The Java Break in Lawrence. Castiel is an FBI agent sent undercover to KU to track down a drug ring that’s sending kids to the hospital. He tracks the dealer to The Java Break where he meets Dean and starts to fall for him. But Dean has secrets that he has to keep from Castiel. Will they be able to meet in the middle?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Alessariel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alessariel/gifts).



> So, this is officially the longest thing I have written to date. This was supposed to be a short little fluffy cute thing and the guys were like, “no” and proceeded to drag me along for the ride. I just hope that ya’ll like it as much as I liked writing it. 
> 
> Special thanks to Aristathelia for the chapter break image. 
> 
> For Alessariel as a part of the Halloween PB Exchange. I hope I did you proud.

Dean sighed as he wiped down the front counter after the morning rush. Seven days in a row of twelve-hour days was taking its toll, but he had no choice. His manager, Alistair, was a grade A dick, and Kansas was an at-will state, so he did his best to make sure he never gave the asshole a reason to can him. He _had_ to keep this job.

A jingle from the door drew his attention from the countertop. A shock of dark hair atop a runners’ build clothed in dark wash jeans and a white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows made his way through the shop to the counter. Dean studied the mans’ face as he approached- tan and a little weathered, smile lines at his eyes and cheekbones that could cut glass. A five o’clock shadow framed his lips and jaw, throwing his graceful neck in sharp relief.

The sound of the man clearing his throat had Dean snapping his mouth shut and he felt heat crawling up his neck. He pasted a wobbly smile to his face and greeted the man.

“Hey there, welcome to The Java Break. What can I getcha today?”

Dean watched as the crinkles around the man’s eyes – which he could tell were blue as _hell_ now that he was close enough – deepened with the slight smile that quirked one side of his face.

“Let’s go simple today, just an Americano for here, please.” The rumble of the man’s voice sent shivers running down Dean’s spine and he had to swallow before nodding and keying in the order.

“Sure man. $1.09. Can I get a name to go along with that order?”

The side of Blue Eyes’ lips quirked in a small smile as he slid a five-dollar bill across the counter to Dean. “Castiel. Keep the change,” a glance to Dean’s nametag, “-Dean.”

Dean quirked an eyebrow at the man’s – Castiel’s – voice. He nodded, took the change from the five-dollar bill and put it into the tip jar. “One Americano coming right up, Castiel. Sugar or cream?”

“No cream, just one sugar, please. Like I said, just something simple today,” Castiel responded. He turned his back on Dean, leaned against the counter, and scanned the front area of the shop. He turned his head and said over his shoulder, “Seems quiet for this early in the morning. Is it always this slow?”

Dean finished filling the white ceramic mug and turned back to the counter, grabbing a packet of sugar on his way. “Nah, you got here after the morning rush. Most of the morning crew are KU students, so they get in early to get their caffeine fix and then shuffle out like zombies to make it to the early morning classes.” He dumps the sugar in the mug and grabs a spoon and give the coffee a swirl to mix it in and glanced at his watch. “If you stick around for about a half an hour though, you can see the locusts descend back upon us for the next round of classes. It won’t be quite as busy as first thing in the morning, and the crew is less zombie-like, but it’s quite the spectacle.” He passed the now-stirred coffee over to Castiel, turning the mug handle to the man. “Here’s your coffee, man.”

Castiel stood and turned back to Dean, reaching out for the coffee mug. “Thank you, Dean. And thank you for the invitation to watch the masses. Where do you suggest I sit to watch this natural phenomenon in action?”

Dean threw his head back and laughed. He pointed to his favorite table – a corner table out of the way of the doorway, but still within his line of sight. “Over there. Get your back in the corner, and you can people watch all day.”

Castiel smiled and raised his mug to Dean. “I think I will take your advice.” With that, he turned away from the counter and made his way to the table Dean had pointed out and sat down with his back in the corner, surveying the area in his line of sight. Dean swallowed the lump in his throat and turned back to the urns of coffee to wipe down that area.

[ ](https://imgur.com/0Urlwz1)

Six hours later, Dean is officially Done with This Day. Castiel had disappeared sometime during the lunch rush, right after Alistair had decided to grace the café with his presence and ever-present bad attitude, and Dean had found out that he was not, in fact, getting the next day off like he had been promised because Alistair had run off yet another barista.

Dean was hiding in the cooler- the only place that Alistair never went- taking a break from the steady stream of customers. He pulled out his phone and shot off a text to Charlie.

_> >>From Dean: hey charles, cant do 2morrow, g2work again_

He grimaced at their text history – full of texts exactly like the one he had just sent her. They kept making plans to hang out, but thanks to his never-ending work schedule, he kept having to duck out on those plans. Movie night was canceled for a late shift, LARPing was canceled for a last-minute call-in shift, a night out with the gang canceled because he was just dead on his feet. He’d become a hermit thanks to this job, but he was a high school drop out that didn’t even have a GED to his name, so he knew he was lucky to have this job, and he really did have to keep it. The house that he lived in was paid off, but there were still bills to pay.

And the medical bills kept coming in from his parent’s stay in the hospital before they had passed away.

Dean closed his eyes and willed the tears away at the thought of his parents. They had been in an accident in his Dad’s truck six years ago. A drunk driver had blown through a stop sign late one night without his lights on and t-boned the truck right into the passenger side. His Dad had been drinking that night, so the impact hadn’t killed him outright, but it had crushed his whole right side. And his Mom… the impact slammed her head into the door glass, and by the time they got her to the hospital, she had already had a stroke from the swelling. She died while they had her on the table to try to relieve some of the pressure on her brain. Knowing that even if she hadn’t died in surgery that she would never have woken up was a small comfort to a young man who had lost almost his whole world in one night. And when he had to make the decision to take his Dad off life support only a few months later…

Dean had been devastated to be left alone with only his younger brother, Sam. At 17, he’d dropped out of high school to take care of Sam the best he could and make daily runs back and forth to the hospital to check on John. Charlie, his fiery red-headed best friend, had been the only reason that he made it through the first year of his parent’s deaths. Since she had graduated the year before, she moved in with the boys, made sure that they both ate and slept, and had helped Sam with his homework- all while going to school full time at KU. He owed that girl so much…

A chirp drew his attention back to his phone.

_< <<From The Queen: ffs Handmaiden, again? _

_> >>From Dean: yeah, i kno, this sucks_

_< <<From The Queen: when are u gonna get a new job? yr boss sucs. _

Dean laughed and shook his head. Charlie knew damn well why he stayed at The Java Break but was using the shitty job as a reason to bug Dean into taking his GED. Not like he had time to study for it, but whatever.

_> >>From Dean: ya i knw, srry. its not lke any1 else will hire a hs dropout tho._

_< <<From The Queen: all the more reason to get yr ass in gear and get that GED…_

Dean scowled at his phone and turned it off, pocketing it as he made his way out of the cooler. He made the trip to the bathroom via the back way, washed his hands, and came back to the front counter, putting his apron back on as he stepped behind the cash register.

Another day, another dollar.


	2. Chapter 2

Castiel growled as he shoved his hands into his hair, gripping the strands and tugging slightly. The hotel room that he was staying in was a disaster area, papers littering every flat surface. There was a map of the Lawrence area with thumbtacks stuck in seemingly random places on the wall with a corkboard next to it with pictures pinned to it. On the dinette table, manila folders emblazoned with the crest of the Federal Bureau of Investigation lay scattered, papers falling out of some. On one of the papers, part of a name could be seen peeking out from behind a surveillance picture.

  _-ester_

 Castiel scrubbed his hands down his face and groaned into them as he sat down heavily into a chair at the dinette table. He propped his elbows on the table and glared at the top-most folder as if glaring daggers at it would make the information change.

 He sighed and shifted his chin into his left palm, reaching out to grab the folder in his right. He dragged it towards him and flipped it open, revealing the full picture, along with the rest of the name.

  _Dean Winchester_

The picture was from a surveillance run he’d made a few weeks ago and it showed the 23-year-old out on the street alongside Alistair Heyerdahl, the low-key dealer he was tracking. He’d been sent undercover from the local branch to track the newest designer drug that had hit the streets, Vertigo. It had ripped through the local college crew like wildfire, and while no one had died yet, there were a few that just barely pulled through. The drug caused hallucinations, high fever, tremors, and in some, grand mal epileptic seizures.

Castiel let his head slide down to land on the table with a dull thud, and for good measure, lifted his head an inch and let it fall again with a second thud. “Why? Why did you walk into that coffee shop knowing damn good and well that he’s a suspect in this case? Knowing that Alistair is a manager at the same location?” he growled to himself, thumping his forehead on the table again.

Castiel was absolutely smitten with the sandy-haired man with moss green eyes. He’d _never_ had that kind of reaction to someone before, and now, wonder of wonders, it just _had_ to be on a suspect.

Because, as much as he wished it was otherwise, Dean _was_ a suspect in the drug ring distributing Vertigo. How else would an orphaned 23-year-old without a GED or high school diploma to his name, who made twelve dollars an hour (plus tips) be able to send his 19-year-old brother to Stanford? There was no good explanation as to how they could afford it otherwise.

Castiel sat up and pulled his phone out of his pocket, woke the screen up, and placed a call.

“Baby bro!” A crunching sound came from the speaker. “What’s up Cassie? How’s Lawrence?”

Castiel rolled his eyes and smiled. He sat the phone down on the table. “Gabe. Good to hear your voice, even if it is marred by the sound of- what are you crunching on this time?”

“Peanut brittle. Fresh batch just got shattered.” More crunching came from the phone, this time with the rattle of plastic. “Getting it packaged up for the Farmer’s Market this weekend. It’s starting to finally cool off, so it won’t melt. You comin’ this weekend?”

Castiel sighed. “Unfortunately not, Gabriel. This case is now at a point that requires me to stay close. Cole cannot run this op, the local students know who he is, and he sticks out like a sore thumb in this crowd.”

That’s not to say that Cole was a bad operative. The issue was that he was _too_ good at his job, and it showed. He’d been an Army Ranger before he transferred to the Bureau, and while his rigidity made him an excellent backup partner for this op, it did not allow him to blend into the local community.

Which is how Castiel had gone from Analyst to Operative. Not that his brother knew that, and he planned on _keeping_ it that way, thank you very much.

“Awwwe Cassiopeia, y’re breakin’ my heart here! I know you love the market this time of year! All the fall flowers are being brought out, and the new honey is making it’s way in the next few weeks too!” Gabriel was whining now, and he damn well knew it.

Castiel pinched the bridge of his nose and grumbled under his breath. “Gabe, I’m sorry. Trust me, I’d much rather be able to come out to Kansas City this weekend and spend it with you.”

Gabriel huffed, then sighed. “I know baby bro. You really need to wrap up that case soon so you can take some time off. You work too much.”

Castiel smiled then, a soft smile that crinkled his nose and made the lines on his forehead smooth out. “I know, big brother. I promise, after this case, I’m coming out to see you and Kali.”

“Promise? For a whole week?”

“Promise.” 

[ ](https://imgur.com/0Urlwz1)

 

The next morning found him back in The Java Break, sitting at the same table that Dean had pointed him to the week before. He had his laptop in front of him, notebooks scattered across the table with civilian-safe notes scribbled on them. August was finally leaving the Wheat State, and September brought with it the onset of fall decorating. The Java Break was decorated in the typical Fall décor- pumpkins alongside red and orange colored leaves, wicker brooms propped up in corners that emitted the scents of cinnamon and cardamom. On the counter sat a trio of white pumpkins with a sign proclaiming them to be “Drained of spice for your PSL!”

He wasn’t sure what to make of that one.

Castiel’s eyes slid over to the sandy-haired barista behind the counter. His current obsession ( _not an obsession, Castiel, suspect_ ) was wiping down the area in front of the carafes. The midmorning sun highlighted the freckles that were sprinkled across his nose and cheekbones when he turned, and it stole Castiel’s breath away.

Castiel was well and truly fucked.

He sighed and rose from the table, gathering his plate and coffee mug. He dropped the plate off at the bin and crossed the floor to the counter.

“Hello, Dean.”

The man in question dropped his rag and whipped around to face him. “Cas! How are, I mean, hi! I mean, uh…” he trailed off as a blush had risen from his collar to his cheekbones, highlighting the freckles there. A hand rose to the back of his neck, and he looked down at the floor. “Uh, yeah. I uh, you need a refill?”

Castiel smiled. “I do, actually.” He slid the mug across the counter and watched as Dean scooped it up and turned away to the carafes to fill it back up. “Americano again this morning, please. Same two sugars, but with a splash of cream this time.”

Dean glanced over his shoulder and winked. “Sure thing man. Hey Cas, where’d you go last week?” Dean’s eyes widened, and he whipped his head to face the carafes again as Castiel watched the blush rise up the back of his neck again. “I turned around and you were just gone, man.”

Castiel cleared his throat and glanced down at the counter, shuffling his feet. He’d had to leave quickly when Alistair showed up at the café, and he hadn’t had time to say goodbye to Dean. “I’m sorry Dean. I was called away very suddenly. I did not mean to leave without saying goodbye.”

Dean turned around with the now refilled mug, stirring the dark liquid inside of it. “Oh. I thought maybe…” he trailed off again, and Castiel watched as sadness filled his face.

“Dean. I’m so sorry to make you think that I had run out on you. That was not my intention.” He reached out and placed his hands around the hand that Dean was gripping the off-white mug with. “Dean, I would like to get to know you better.”

Dean looked up then, mouth agape. “What? I, uh… What?!”

Castiel smiled and told his misgivings to take a long walk off a short pier as he raised his right hand to cup Dean’s face. “Dean,” he took a deep breath. “I would like to get to know you better. Please.”

He watched as Dean gaped, opening and closing his mouth a few times before he finally snapped it shut and cleared his throat, rubbing his cheek on Castiel’s palm. “I’d like that, Cas. I just, man, I work seven days a week right now. I’m not sure when I’ll have time.” His eyes widened as Castiel’s smile started to fade. “Cas, I promise that’s not a line, man. Alistair, my manager, runs people off so fast that I’m the only one here that will- or can- pick up the slack.”

Castiel cocked his head to the side. That was… unexpected. Dean working at the café as much as he said he did mean that he didn’t have time to do much outside of his time at The Java Break. Did that also mean that he wasn’t involved with his boss’ other activities?

He found that he was desperately wishing that was the case.

“Dean, it’s ok, I understand.” He caressed Dean’s cheek with his thumb and continued, “I’m more than happy to come to you, here if nothing else, and spend time with you.” As Dean turned his face into his palm, Castiel caressed his bottom lip. “You’re worth waiting for.”

A jingle heralded the arrival of a new customer and he pulled his hand away, picking up his coffee. He turned back towards the table that he had claimed as his own and tossed a wink back over his shoulder. “I’ll be right over there, Dean. Come and see me on your break.”

Not that he had needed it before, but now he had an even bigger reason to shut down the Vertigo ring as quickly as possible. Castiel sat down and pulled his laptop closer to him and buried himself in his work.


	3. Chapter 3

Dean stared at the wild-haired man as he walked back to his table. The fucker had just _winked_ at him, and…

A balled-up napkin hit him in the face and he blinked, bringing a shock of red hair into focus. Charlie stood in front of him with a shit-eating grin on her face, eyebrow cocked into her hair. “What’s up Winchester? You look like you just got whammed with a goofy stick.”

Dean could feel the goofy grin that was stretched across his face now that Charlie had mentioned it. He cleared his throat and attempted to wrestle control over his face. “What can I getcha today Charles?”

“Oh no, you don’t. Spill.”

Dean’s grin grew wider as a blush crept up his neck. His eyes flicked to where Castiel was sitting, engrossed in whatever he was looking at on his computer. He tilted his head towards the dark-haired man and Charlie looked over her shoulder. He could see the grin that stretched wide across her face as she took in Castiel, absorbed into his laptop and various notes and notebooks scattered across the table, coffee mug cradled in his hands. She turned back to Dean with a gleam in her eyes and raised an eyebrow. “Nice Winchester. Even I have to compliment you for that good lookin’ specimen of a male.” She pointed at him, “I expect details later, but for now, I need a large PSL with 3 extra shots. I gotta hit up my Religions Studies class and I’m going to need something to keep me awake while I have to listen to Zachariah drone.”

Dean laughed, took her money (dropping the change in the jar as he always did), and made her the sludge she called coffee. As he slid it across the counter, he said “Here you go Red. Try not to vibrate out of the lecture hall this time.”

Charlie flicked him the bird over her shoulder as she walked to the door. “Later Handmaiden.” The jingle of the bell followed her departure, and Dean shook his head. Charlie was somethin’ else, that was for sure.

Dean wiped down the counter and glanced at his watch. The mid-morning rush was about to start, so he spent the next twenty minutes wisely and stocked up the to-go cups and lids and made sure his stack up napkins was topped off. As he did, he pondered on the turn his life had decided to make that morning. He’d been upset the past week, wondering if he’d done something to run Castiel off. He wanted to get his number the week before and had been dejected to see that the blue-eyed man had slipped out of the café before he had a chance to talk further with him. But this morning had floored him with its turn of events.

He just had to figure out when the hell he was going to have time to try to date someone.

His train of thought was halted then by the arrival of the eleven o’clock crew, so he put them to the side, plastered on a smile, and started taking and making orders as fast as he could.

[ ](https://imgur.com/0Urlwz1)

Kevin thankfully showed up on time for his one o’clock shift, and Dean gratefully took the chance to grab a soda and club sandwich from the cooler. He shucked his apron and stuffed it into his back pocket, gathered his spoils, and made his way to the front of the café. He broke out into a wide smile when he saw Castiel was waiting for him to join him, eyes crinkled, and a small smile quirked his lips. Dean pushed through the small line at the counter and sat down across from him, setting his drink and plate down. He grinned widely at Castiel again before he picked up his sandwich and took a large bite. “Sorry for the bad manners, but I’m starving. Haven’t eaten since six am before the café opened. Alistair won’t let us eat behind the counter, and since I’m the only opener right now…” He trailed off as he swallowed his bite and washed it down with a drink.

Castiel smiled a wide gum-baring thing that transformed his face. “It’s quite all right Dean. You were very honest with me this morning when you told me how much you worked, and I wasn’t expecting anything less when you were finally able to take a break.” He looked around the café. “It was a madhouse in here for a while. Is it always like that?”

Dean laughed around another bite of his sandwich. “Yeah. I can pretty much set my watch around the zoo that shows up here. I get mad rushes during the breaks between classes since the cafeteria on campus sucks, and the local business love to support small shops, so they frequent us as well. Some of the people you saw today are in every day.” He swallowed and took another big bite. “I should be the first person that any cop comes to talk to about anyone missing. If they come here even on a semi-regular basis I tend to pick up on their habits and can point out when they miss coming in.”

Castiel looked thoughtful at that bit of information. “Fascinating. I’m working on a story covering the local college students and the impact the drug Vertigo is having on them. Do you know if any of your regulars have had a run in?”

Dean was in the middle of taking another bite from his sandwich when he stopped and hesitantly replied, “Uh, not sure. There have been a few semi-regulars that have stopped coming in, and when I asked they were in the hospital, but their friends didn’t elaborate. I didn’t want to push, ya know?”

Castiel nodded. “That’s very understanding of you Dean.”

Dean shrugged and muttered around his sandwich, “Just doing what I would want someone to do for me if somethin’ were to happen like that.” His thoughts turned melancholy for a moment as he thought of his parents, but he forced it away and pasted a bright smile on his face. “’Nough of that depressin’ stuff for now, Cas. I got-“ a glance at his watch, “Ten more minutes before my break is up. I know you said you wanted to get to know me better, and I really am sorry about workin’ all the time-“

Castiel laid his hand over Dean’s, doing an effective job of shutting him up. Dean looked at him again, and a soft smile greeted him. “It’s quite all right, Dean,” he said quietly. “Just tell me a little about yourself.”

The next ten minutes flew by as they talked, trading inane factoids about themselves. Dean was more comfortable talking with Castiel than he was with anyone else save for Sam and Charlie. The beep of his watch startled him, and he groaned. “Time to get back to the grind, man. You got any plans for this afternoon? I don’t get off until six tonight, but there are plenty of places for you to check out around here if you are not from around here.”

Castiel nodded his head. “I had planned on researching more for this story I’m working on. I’m an investigative reporter for the Kansas City Kansan. I think I’m actually going to head over to campus, see if I can get permission to speak with some of the students over there.”

Dean felt the blood drain from his face. “Oh. Ok man. I guess I’ll see you later then.” He gathered his dishes and turned to head back behind the counter and was pulled up short when a hand lightly grasped his elbow. He stopped and looked over his shoulder.

“Dean, could I uh,” a blush had spread across Castiel’s cheeks. “May I have your phone number, please?”

“OH! Yes! God yes, lemme just-“ he sat the dishes back down on the table and tugged his phone from his back pocket. He unlocked it and passed it over to Castiel so that he could enter his information into the contacts. “Sorry. I just gotta get back and, man I’m glad you stopped me and asked because I was kicking myself over not getting your number last time and-“ he broke off as heat flooded his face again and he hid his face in his hands. Dear Jesus, _why_ had he turned into such a motor mouth around this man?

A soft hand cupped his face, and he looked up into blue eyes that he wanted to drown in. “I’ve sent you a text so that I have your number as well, Dean.” A thumb caressed his cheek, and he leaned into it slightly. “I’m going to let you get back to work before your co-worker murders me with his glare.” Castiel leaned in and brushed his lips across Dean’s unoccupied cheek. “I will see you after 6. Wait here for me.”

Dean nodded dumbly, gathered his dishes, and fled to the back of the café. He really, _really,_ hoped that the new kid showed up on time for once.


	4. Chapter 4

Castiel’s heart had ached for Dean when had spoken of the students with friends in the hospital. He’d seen the flash of pain that he had assumed was due to his parents flit across the younger man’s face before he replaced it with a sunny smile. His reaction to his afternoon plans, however, worried the agent. Dean had looked like he’d seen a ghost he had turned so white.

He pondered Dean’s reaction while he gathered up his notes and laptop. Personal items safely stowed in his messenger bag and coffee mug drained, he snuck one last look at Dean as he bustled around behind the counter filling orders. A soft smile bloomed across his face, and he lifted a hand in farewell and strode through the café door.

Castiel mused over his options as he made his way to campus. The reporter angle was an excellent cover, and he was glad for it. As he walked, he dug his phone out of his bag, dialing his partner.

“Yeah, boss?”

“Cole. How’s the digging going?”

Cole sighed. “Not great boss. Alistair is a slippery demon. I have finally drilled down and found the distribution warehouse. Still haven’t found the location where they are manufacturing it though.” Castiel could hear the weariness in Cole’s voice. Taking a background role on this case had been difficult since Cole was used to being on the front lines, and he knew that Cole wanted to wrap this case up before the holidays started. Holidays drove rings into high gear, using the time to be able to push product out into potential new areas along with the typical holiday travel.

He hummed. “Do you think we have enough to start bringing in the rest of the team? Having at least Ash in the area running computer surveillance would help tremendously.”

“Yeah, I think we do, boss. Finding the distro hub means we’ve got eyes on lackeys. Want me to make the call?”

“Yes. Let’s get them in and set up in the same hotel I’m staying in right now.” Castiel went on to briefly outline his new cover with Cole as well as his afternoon plans. After discussing plans, they hung up as he reached campus. He spent the rest of the afternoon mentally going over team set up and interviewing campus officials and obtaining the necessary permissions to interview the students. By the time he was done with jumping through all the hoops, he was more than ready to quit for the day and compile his notes. A glance to his phone told him he had plenty of time to get back to The Java Break before Dean was done for the day.

Twenty minutes later, he pushed through the crowd milling on the sidewalk into the cheery interior of the café.

[ ](https://imgur.com/0Urlwz1)

The following two weeks were spent getting his team up to speed on the case, interviewing students and their families, and running down leads.

A good portion of it was also spent with Dean.

They spent as much time together as they could, both at The Java Break and hanging around town. His team was having a field day with it. Cole had found out first, of course, and had let the rest of the team know as soon as he could.

Cole was a damn gossip.

So, he now had to deal with a drug ring that was now killing students (two had OD’d before help could arrive), a budding romance with someone who was _still_ a suspect, and a team that took great delight in tormenting him.

They’d managed to rent adjoining rooms, using the room next to his as the base of operations. Electronics were on every flat surface, the wall that shared the TV had a map and pictures tacked on it, and there was a whiteboard blocking the windows. The two queen beds had notes scattered across them and were being used as impromptu desks, the chairs pulled up between them.

In short, it looked like a tornado had ripped through the room.

Castiel straightened from where he was leaned over the bed reviewing his notes and stretched. His back cracked, and his shoulders protested, letting it be known that he’d spent too much time in one position. He groaned and scrubbed a hand through his already wild hair as he took in the rest of the room.

His little rag-tag team was hard at work. Ash was bent over his array of laptops muttering to himself as his scans ran, and he looked as tired as Castiel felt. Cole was making sure that the gear for the team was clean and in good repair, checking over their store of weapons. Benny was currently out at The Java Break, having gotten a job there to help keep an eye on Alistair, and would return (hopefully with coffee) within the hour. Victor, his profiler, was on the other bed surrounded by files as he studied the new players they had been able to run down in the last two weeks. Anna and Sjaak, the two halves of his K9 team, were napping on the couch, having run surveillance the night before.

This little team was his family. And he felt like he was letting them down.

Victor looked up as he stood. “You alright over there, boss?”

Castiel waved him off. “I’m fine. Just tired and wish we could wrap this up. How many more kids are going to die before we track down the manufacturer?” He sighed and ran his hand through his hair again. “I feel like we are missing something so simple, something that’s sitting right in front of us.” He let his hands fall to his sides and huffed in frustration.

Vic sat the file he was reviewing down and swung around to face Castiel. “Boss, you can’t let this case get to you. I know it doesn’t look like it, but we are making damn good strides in this case. We know the distribution ring now and know the routes and the key players that run them. We may not know where the drugs are coming from yet, but Ash says that he’s starting to close in on how the drugs are getting to the warehouse. Once we know that, we can start backtracking to the source.”

Cole pipes up from where he’d been cleaning his handgun. “He’s right boss. I know this is your first time as a team leader, let alone in the field, but we are doing great.” He sat the bore brush down on the table and caught Castiel’s eye. “Why don’t you head down to The Java Break. Benny already said that Alistair left for the day, and Dean’s on until closing. Go spend time with your boy.”

Castiel blushed to the roots of his hair. Having the support of his team, his little family, was humbling.

Even if they were meddling matchmakers. The whole lot of them.

Sjaak padded over to Castiel and nosed into his hand, whining softly. The seventy-pound German Shepard was an enigma wrapped in a fur coat. He was incredibly tactile with the team, but out on the streets when he was “on”, you couldn’t get near him or his handler. He’d failed out of the Air Force training due to the new regulations; he was too aggressive on the streets. But he was loyal to a fault, and his pack – Castiel’s team – was his to watch over. Castiel had never been around dogs, but even he could see how special this dog was. He kneeled next to the dog and took his face into his hands, chaffing gently.

With a final pat to Sjaak’s head, he stood, waved to the rest of his team, and crossed over into his room.


	5. Chapter 5

Dean was pretty sure that he was floating on cloud nine.

His boss still sucked, he still worked 12-hour days, and he was still so tired he couldn’t see straight half the time, but he was still _happy._

And it was all thanks to a wild-haired, blue-eyed man.

Castiel had kept his promise of wanting to get to know Dean better. He came to the café as often as he could and spent time with Dean while he ate and got ready to hit the sack after work.

Speaking of work; even though his boss was still a dick, he had a new coworker that he’d clicked with _and_ was willing to put up with Alistair’s bullshit. Dean had even gotten to sleep in a few times after Benny had been fully trained to open.

So yeah, Dean was pretty frikkin’ sure he was on cloud nine.

The only damper on things was the constant stream of bills that continued to pour in.

Dean grunted as he tossed the bills over to where the rest of them were piled up. Lawrence General was already on a payment plan thanks to Charlie, so those were just monthly statements. The ones in the blue envelopes though…

Those were new, and Charlie didn’t know anything about them. He was desperately trying to keep it that way.

Dean was up and out of bed on his first day off in longer than he cares to admit. He’d already stuffed his mouth full of a breakfast muffin and was driving out past the city limits. The rumble of the Impala settled his nerves on the drive to the hospice center.

He spent more time than was strictly necessary locating a parking spot, trying to quell the guilt of his sporadic visits. There wasn’t any reason for the guilt since the person he was visiting was currently in a coma, but it persisted anyway. Dean steeled himself as he signed in and waved to a few of the nurses on his way to his destination. He slipped into the room, pulled up a chair to the side of the bed, and took the young man’s hand into his.

“Hey, Sammy. Sorry it’s been so long since my last visit. Boy have I got a lot to fill you in on.”

[ ](https://imgur.com/0Urlwz1)

Sam had visited from Stanford over the summer, electing to take the summer off and spend it with Dean instead of taking extra courses and trying to pull ahead. At 18, he was the youngest in his freshman class after graduating from Lawrence High a year early.

Dean had been so fucking proud of his little brother.

However, Sam was under a lot of self-inflicted pressure and guilt due to how much he had taken on and how hard his brother was _still_ working to keep him going. A full ride meant that his courses were paid for and that he had a place to live, but he was still growing, and books still needed to be purchased and new school supplies…

Sam had buckled under that pressure one night when Dean was closing at The Java Break and had OD’d on Vertigo.

Dean had come home that night to see his scrawny little (big) brother sprawled unconscious on the living room floor, a baggie of bright green pills at his elbow.

Dean didn’t remember much of the rest of the night, it was a blur of panicked phone calls to the police department and 911, talking to officers he didn’t know, and wearing a path in the waiting room of Lawrence General. All they knew for sure at the time was that Sam had OD’d on an unknown drug, but he was stable.

He just never woke up.

After a month in LG, they made the decision to move him to a long-term hospice center that could provide around the clock care. The options they had given him were nice, but there had been no way he could afford them. So, he’d researched on his own and met Meg Masters. She worked for GreenTree, a center outside of Lawrence, and was able to get him and Sam a sponsored rate. He had no idea what he’d done to get the prickly brunette on his side, but he was damn grateful. She’d been his rock in the first days after the transfer, keep him in the loop, and kept him grounded.

The lady of the hour slipped in the room and padded up behind him quietly. “Hey, Deano. It’s been a while since we’ve seen you in the flesh around here. How are you doin?” She patted his shoulder as she pulled up a chair beside him, knocking knees with Dean as she sat down. She reached over and pulled one of Dean’s hands into her lap, squeezing softly.

“Not great, if you want the truth. Been working way too much, worried out of my mind. And now there’s reports of a drug called Vertigo spreading like wildfire through the KU campus.” He looked over at Meg. “I’m scared, Meg. What if he never wakes up?” Tears were tracking down his face.

Meg squeezed his hand again. “I know its hard Deano.” She nodded her head towards Sam and continued, “Your gigantor brother is strong though. His scans are all still coming back good, and he’s as healthy as he can be in this state.” She brightened. “Did you know that we are working with him? We can’t do physical therapy with him since he can’t do any resistance training, but we’ve been trained to help with mobility. When he does finally wake up, he’ll still be a string bean, but he’ll be able to get up and walk a lot faster than normal coma patients do.”

Dean chuckled wetly. Part of the sponsorship that Meg had gotten them allowed them to help Sam with some of the more cutting-edge methods that weren’t allowed on the older or terminal patients. “That’s good to hear. The moose won’t want to be kept down any longer than necessary when he wakes up.” He looked over at his brother again and took in the floppy hair and shaved face. “Thank you for keeping the rest of the staff away from his luscious locks, by the way. He’d kill me if he woke up without his glorious mane.”

Meg laughed brightly at that. “No problem Deano. Sammy is… Sammy is special to all of us here.” She cleared her throat, and her face became serious. “Seriously Dean, we are all pushing for him here. _Everyone_ wants him to wake up so we can all properly meet him. He’s even got a fan club of other patients here. He’s very rarely alone here. They come in and sit with him, watch TV, read to him…” She trailed off. “Jess is smitten with him from all your stories, too.”

Dean looked intrigued at this new bit of information. “Jess? The cute blonde with the curly hair?”

Meg nodded. “One and the same. I think out of all of us here, she wants him to wake up the most. She’s taken him under her wing and is with him almost as much as I am. She requested the special training be taught to all of us as soon as she caught wind of it. You can thank her for a lot of the new protocols here too.”

“No shit. Well, if it helps Sammy, and anyone else, I’m all for it.” Dean glanced at his watch and rolled his shoulders. “Alright, well. As much as I’d rather not, it’s time for me to get outta your hair here.” He brightened. “I’ve got a date tonight!”

Meg looked surprised for a second, and then a smile burst across her face. “Well, holy shit lookit you!” She pulled him in for a hug. “I’m proud of you Dean. You had better tell me all about this new fling of yours!” She let him go and patted his cheek. “Go and be free, my unicorn. And don’t wait so long to visit next time! I know you are working stupid hours, but you let me know when you have downtime, and I’ll make sure you can get in here to see him, visiting hours or not.”

Dean smiled and pulled her into a rib-crushing hug. “Thank you, Meg,” he whispered into her hair. “Thank you for everything.”

[ ](https://imgur.com/0Urlwz1)

Charlie ducked the flying flannel as she walked into Dean’s room. “Hey! What’s with the clothing missiles?”

Dean was buried in his closet, looking for something to wear to the date that night. He already had on his best pair of jeans – the ones he refused to wear to the café, no matter how long he’d let the laundry go – and was looking for a clean henley and an overshirt that didn’t have holes in it. He backed out of the closet and shot a panicked look to his best friend. “I can’t find anything to wear, Charlie! All of my shirts have holes in them, and my henleys are all stretched out and…”

Charlie crossed the room in a few swift strides and caught Dean up in a tight hug. “Hey, calm down Dean. It’s ok.” She pulled back and turned Dean so that his back was to his bed and bullied him backward, pushing him down to sit on the edge of the bed. “Sit there. No, you hush. I can already see the panic attack starting, and you are going to _sit there and let me help._ ”

Dean snapped his mouth shut. For such a tiny thing, Charlie could be a force of nature when she wanted to be, and he knew better than to try to argue with her. “Thanks, Charlie.”

She nodded with a smile and sat down next to him. “Alright. Now, what’s really got you in a tizzy? You’ve been seeing this guy for weeks now, and I’ve never seen you this out of sorts when you were getting ready for a date before. What’s up?”

Dean looked down at his hands. “Charlie, I really like this guy. And this is the first time we’ve gotten to hang out when I didn’t have to work that day and was dog tired. I just want this to be perfect, ya know?”

Charlie’s eyes softened, and she patted his hand. “OK. Where are you going tonight? Let’s see if we can get you dressed.”

Twenty minutes later, Dean was dressed in the same jeans, a maroon button-down shirt, and his black boots. His hair was styled, and he was running his hand across his face. “Hey Charlie? Should I shave?”

Charlie looked up from where she was putting his closet back to rights. “Nah. You look good with a little scruff.” She finished putting the last flannel back into his closet and crossed the room back over to where Dean was standing in front of the dresser mirror. She brushed away non-existent lint and wrinkles and straightened his shirt on his shoulders. “I’m proud of you, Dean,” she said softly. Dean looked at her in the mirror and saw the uncharacteristically serious look on her face. He turned and asked, “Why? It’s just a date.”

She looked up at him. “Yes, it’s just a date, but Dean, you’ve been so withdrawn lately and so busy with work, and stressed and…” She blew out a breath. “Dean, I’m just so happy to see you taking something for _you_ for once. You’re happy.”

He pulled her into a hug. “Yeah, I am happy. Life still sucks pretty much all the time, but I’m really happy with Cas, Charlie. _He_ makes me happy.” Dean pecked a kiss into her shining red hair and smiled. He squeezed her tighter and then let go. “I need to get going, squirt. Lock up before you leave?”

“You got it, big brother. Go, have fun, have safe sex, and let me know when you get home.”

"Charlie!”

[ ](https://imgur.com/0Urlwz1)

Dinner and a movie.  Standard first date.  He could do this.

He can’t do this.  Dean was freaking out again as he parked the Impala at the diner they had agreed to meet at.  After he shifted into park, he laid his forehead down onto the steering wheel and took a few deep breaths. After his heart stopped trying to beat through his chest, he gathered his courage and slipped out of the car.  As he walked up to the door, he caught a glimpse of Castiel’s wild hair out of the corner of his eye and he turned to smile at the other man. He took in Castiel’s outfit; dark washed jeans that showed off his thighs, a dark blue button-down shirt that made his eyes pop, and black boots much like Dean’s own.

Dean gulped.

“Dean, I’m so glad to see you.  You look good.” Castiel’s eyes raked up and down Dean’s body, taking in the details. Castiel smiled and offered his elbow. “Shall we?”

Dean laughed, his nerves melting away.  He tucked his hand into Castiel’s elbow, then reached out to open the door to the diner.

Dinner was nothing to write home about, just standard diner fare burgers and fries, but they laughed and talked until the staff finally kicked them out.  They missed the movie, and Dean felt slightly bad about that, but mentally shrugged it off since they hadn’t pre-purchased tickets. All in all, it had been the best first date he’d ever been on.

They were standing in the parking lot of the diner, and it was clear that neither of them wanted the night to be over just yet.  “Hey Cas? I kinda don’t want this to end yet, and I’m gettin’ the feelin’ you feel about the same. How about a movie over at my place?”

Castiel’s face lit up.  “I would very much like that, Dean. Shall I follow you?”

The drive to his house allowed Dean time to plan out what movie he’d offer and to be thankful that for once he didn’t have to open on a Sunday.  He parked the Impala and crossed through the yard to the porch.  As he got his keys situated he felt a warm body press against his back.  He threw a grin over his shoulder and relished Castiel’s body heat in the late September night.

 “Hey there, handsome. You trying to distract me?” Dean sucked in a breath when he felt Castiel’s arms wind around his waist and the scrape of his stubble across the back of his neck.

“Dean, if you don’t want to be arrested for public indecency, you might want to unlock your door.”

Chills erupted across Dean’s body, and he let out a shaky breath as he focused on not dropping his keys.  He managed to get the door open first try, and they tumbled into the living room, Castiel still plastered to his back.

Dean twisted in Castiel’s grasp and shoved him up against the door, earning him a grunt _and_ closing the door at the same time. He crowded further into Castiel’s space, pressed together from chest to hips.  He reached down and locked the door with one hand and gripped the back of Castiel’s neck with the other. “Cas. I swear if all you want to do is watch a movie we can…”

He was cut off when Castiel thrust a leg between his own and used the leverage he had to push himself off the door and to reverse their positions.  “Dean Winchester, if you finish that sentence I will be highly disappointed in you,” and crashed his lips into Dean’s.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prelude to smut.

After he had left his team Friday night, Castiel had indeed gone to The Java Break.  Friday nights were busy at the café, but Dean had let him sit in the back out of the way so they could talk until the flow of customers petered out.  As closing time neared, Castiel could see Dean was becoming more and more agitated. 

“Dean, what’s wrong?”

Dean glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. “Am I that transparent?”

Castiel got up from the stool he had been perched on and laid a hand on Dean’s arm.  “No, you aren’t, but I read people very, very well.  What’s wrong?”

Dean flushed.  “I’ve finally got a day off tomorrow and I was hoping, well, I thought that we could, I mean…”  he sighed.  “Do you wanna go on a date tomorrow?  Dinner and a movie?”

Castiel could feel the smile that bloomed across his face.  “Yes Dean, I would like that very much.”

The rest of the night was spent discussing where they would go and what movie they wanted to see.  Castiel hadn’t seen any of the Star Wars movies, so that kept any of the newer movies out of the running.  The finally settled on a diner ( _Best diner in town Cas!)_ and whatever the newest blockbuster was (neither of them knew anything about it but the reviews looked promising) and settled on a time. 

They tumbled out of the back entrance of the café, laughing and giddy over their plans for the next day. As Castiel sobered, he took in the man next to him.  He seemed to glow in the mixture of the moonlight and street lamps.

He decided then he was ready to take another chance. 

Dean was wiping the tears of laughter from his face as Castiel crowded into his space and cupped his face gently.  As Dean sobered, Castiel whispered, “Dean, may I kiss you?”

Instead of a response, Dean lowered his lips in a sweet, chaste kiss. Shivers ran down Castiel’s body in response, and he heard a whimper from one of them. Castiel parted his lips and ran the tip of his tongue across the seam of Dean’s lips in invitation.  Dean groaned and allowed him entry, and they stood in the middle of a lit parking lot for long moments learning each other’s mouths.

When they parted, both men were flushed and panting softly.  Dean’s forehead was touching his, and they stood breathing in each other as they calmed down. Castiel nosed down into Dean’s neck and wrapped his arms around his waist. 

“Alright angel. I need to get home before I decide that this parking lot looks like a good place to sleep for the night.” Dean drew back and placed a sweet kiss on Castiel’s cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?”

Castiel nodded and pulled his jacket tighter around himself as Dean pulled away and tucked himself into the Impala. He turned away and clambered into his own car and drove himself back to the hotel.

Sjaak and Anna were outside when he parked, and Castiel stood next to Anna as they watched the dog run around sniffing furiously.  “He seems to be in a good mood tonight.”

Anna’s eyes twinkled as she looked at him.  “He’s not the only one. Your hair is even more wild than usual, boss.  Have a good night?”

Castiel blushed and pointedly kept his hands in his pockets.  “If you must know, yes I did.  Dean and I are going out tomorrow.”

“Oh.  Well, then I guess I should tell you now instead of waiting for the debrief in the morning.  We’ve cleared him as a suspect.” She tossed the red Kong to Sjaak.

Castiel whipped his head around to face Anna head on.  “What?”

She nodded. “Benny was able to clear him after his shift today. They’ve become pretty good friends, and Dean told him about how his brother got a full ride to Stanford. So, our only reason for suspecting him is gone.”

Castiel stood stock still, floored.  Sjaak whined, sat down on his feet, and leaned hard into his shins, knocking him out of his shock. He sank down to the ground and let the German Shephard climb into his lap and lick his face.

Anna smiled as she sat down next to them. “You know, he doesn’t do this with anyone else.” She reached out and patted Sjaak’s flank. “He really adores you.”

Castiel could feel himself calming down as he allowed the dog to wriggle in his lap and demand attention. “I didn’t realize that he wasn’t like this with everyone. He seems so friendly with everyone else.” He sank his fingers into the dog’s neck and scratched.

Anna leaned against his shoulder and laughed. “Oh he likes them well enough, but you are the only one he really acts like a dog around other than me. But even then, he won’t roll around on my lap.” She laughed at Sjaak’s antics. “He acts like a puppy with you.”

Castiel smiled and indulged the dog, throwing his ball for him when Anna gave it to him.  They sat for a half hour, playing with Sjaak and sitting quietly before giving in to the exhaustion that had settled into their bones and turning in for the night.

[ ](https://imgur.com/0Urlwz1)

The next morning dawned with his team – minus Benny, who was working that morning – huddled in the hotel room, going over notes and updating their pinboard of suspects. Castiel’s smile had been blinding when he was finally able to take Dean’s picture down from the board.

They all sobered as the morning went on, however.  While Dean had been cleared, the team had finally found the manufacturing route and they had an expanded list of players to catch up on. They ran down the new players and updated the suspect board, taking turns throughout the morning making sure Sjaak got enough exercise and outside time, Sjaak greatly preferring his time with Castiel, much to Anna’s delight.

Noon came and went, with Benny coming by on his lunch break dropping off coffee and sandwiches for the crew. They took a break after the food was consumed and trooped outside to stretch and play with Sjaak. Anna stood beside Castiel as they watched the crew play with the working dog. “Have you told them yet?”

Castiel shook his head. “No. I know I’m going to have to but wanted to focus on the new information this morning.” He shot a look to Anna and continued, “You all have a tendency to focus on my love life when given the option to.”

Anna grinned. “Can you blame us? You are adorable all flustered over this young man. And you are so easy to rile up about it.”

Sjaak barked and tackled Cole, chasing down the ball the other men were using to play keep-away from the dog. The rest of the team laughed when Cole sat up with leaves in his hair, dirt smudged on his face. The laughing continued as the agents abandoned all pretenses of professionalism and turned a few minutes of stretching their legs into a full out game of tag that Sjaak very clearly won.

It was a good way to end the very stressful morning.

[ ](https://imgur.com/0Urlwz1)

Castiel finally cracked and told the rest of his team after the impromptu game of tag, and to his horror, the team descended on his meager clothing options before deciding that a shopping trip was in order.  They left Ash with the computers and Vic with his files, and frog marched Castiel to a strip mall outside of Lawrence to find something suitable for the date later that day.

“Why? What is so wrong with what I have already?”

Cole snorted from the driver’s seat. “Boss, all you have is slacks and white button-down shirts. I’ve seen this guy, remember? Just trust me, you need at least some jeans that will hug your ass and some different colored button downs. Just be glad you didn’t give us any more time than you did, or Anna and I would be taking you and getting you a brand-new wardrobe.”

Castiel crossed his arms and grumbled under his breath. “We should really be working.”

Anna turned in the front seat and smiled at him. “We are Boss.  Ash is running down the delivery drivers and Vic is working on the profiles for the new players.  Cole can’t clean those guns many more times without going bonkers, and I’ve been itchin’ to get out and stretch my legs for a few days now.  We are at a point right now where if we were there we’d just be in the way, and you know how Ash gets when we hover.”

Castiel had to give her that one.  He’d seen Ash on a previous op and he’d damn near taken the old team leader’s head off when she wouldn’t back off.  Naomi hadn’t lasted long, thank goodness.

“Still.  I don’t know what you two are getting out of this. It’s my date!”

Anna grinned.  “Boss, you really don’t know?”

Castiel glared.

In a more somber tone, Cole replied, “Boss.  You forget that while this is your first time in the field, it isn’t for us.  And we’ve been working with you since you joined the Agency. We know how big of a deal this is for you.”

Anna nodded. “We’ve been anglin’ to get you on our team for a few years now Cas.  _No one_ liked Naomi, and we knew that you’d be a perfect shoo-in for the spot if we could get her out of that position. This op just happened to be the perfect opportunity to grab you and stick you in. And trust me, we don’t plan on letting go.”

Castiel felt his jaw drop. “What? But I’m just an analyst! I thought this was a temporary thing, I booted Cole out of the leader slot, I don’t want to…”

“Stop right there, Boss,” Cole interrupted him. “Yeah, you took my spot, but I was more than happy to give it up. I’m not near the leader that you are.  You may not think so, but your cool head and drive do a lot to inspire confidence in a team.  I don’t have that.  I’m a soldier, and I’d like to think I’m a damn good one, but I follow.  I’ve followed a lot of people through the years, and trust me, you are one of the best. Let us do this for you as a ‘welcome to the family’ thing.”

All Castiel could do was snap his mouth shut and mull over the revelations of the last few minutes while they drove the rest of the way to Cole and Anna’s shops of choice. He allowed them to bully him into stores where clothing cost more than it should ( _it’s brand name Boss_ ) and pile him with clothing they deemed suitable not just for that night’s date, but also to help bring him out of the mentality of being “just an analyst”. He did nix the idea of a haircut, but otherwise just went with the flow through the stores and back to the hotel.

Benny and Sjaak thankfully saved him from the other two hovering over him as he showered and got dressed for the rest of the evening, Benny citing that it was their turn to spend time welcoming him to the family and Sjaak just snorting and shoving his way to Castiel. Benny shooed the other two off and Castiel thankfully ducked into the bathroom to shower and change. 

A half an hour later had Benny, Sjaak, and Castiel deciding what shirt Castiel would pair with his new jeans and boots.  Once Benny was satisfied and with a last pat to Sjaak’s head, he slipped out of the room and fled downstairs to avoid the rest of the team and hopefully make it to the diner on time.

[ ](https://imgur.com/0Urlwz1)

Dean’s groan lit a fire in Castiel’s veins. He wanted to wring as many noises out of this man as possible, learn his body from top to bottom, inside and out. Castiel pulled back and looked at Dean, taking in his blown eyes and dazed expression. “Bedroom?” he panted.

Dean nodded frantically and took Castiel by the hand as he led the way to the master bedroom. Castiel took in what he could see of Dean’s house as they made their way through it, promising himself that he’d get to know the rest later.

Much later if he had his way.

Excitement and desire were singing through his body as Dean pushed into what he assumed was his bedroom. Castiel plastered himself to Dean’s back again, snaking his hands around the front and pulling Dean’s shirt from where it was tucked in and started working on the buttons as he mouthed at the back of his neck. Dean’s hands flew to Castiel’s hair and he gripped it, just short of being painful. Castiel moaned and sunk his teeth into Dean’s neck where it joined his shoulder, drawing a hiss from him.

“God yes Cas.  Fuck.” Dean’s chest heaved as Castiel freed the last button and smoothed his hands down across his nipples and towards his belt. Dean gasped as he did, and Castiel filed that information away for later. He tugged Dean’s belt open and popped the button free, and plunged his hand down into his jeans, gripping Dean’s cock.  He groaned into his shoulder. “Jesus you are so damn hard for me.”

Dean gasped, “Dude, you’ve been driving me crazy for _weeks._ Do you know how frustrating it is to be dating someone as fucking hot as you are and be so goddamn tired you can’t do jack shit about it?”

Castiel chuckled darkly and jacked Dean in his jeans. “Dean, you have no idea how happy I am to hear that.” He drew away from Dean’s back, earning him a whimper of loss from the other man, replaced quickly with a moan as he shoved him towards the king bed in the middle of the room. He withdrew his hand from Dean’s pants, grabbed the shirt and dragged it off his torso, throwing it to the ground. Before Dean could react, Castiel spun him around and shoved him hard enough to topple him to the bed with a soft _oof._ He took the opportunity while Dean lay there, stunned, to shed himself of his boots and socks, then sunk down to his knees between Dean’s legs and divested him of the same. By the time they were both barefoot, Dean had apparently gathered his wits about him and had propped himself up on his elbows and was taking in the sight between his legs.

“That’s one hell of a pretty picture, angel. I’m feelin’ a little bit underdressed though.”

Castiel grinned as he ran his hands up Dean’s legs, over his thighs, and to his waist. “You’re about to be even more underdressed,” and with that, managed to manhandle Dean’s jeans and boxers off all in the same motion, dragging his hips off the edge of the bed and dropping Dean’s upper body down to the bed again.

“Jesus” he heard faintly.

Castiel stood up, working on the buttons of his own shirt.  “Dean.  Where do you keep your lube and condoms?” 

Dean pointed to the table on the right side of the bed. “Top one,” he gasped as more skin was revealed when Castiel drew his shirt from his shoulders. “Holy shit.” Dean surged up off the bed, gripping Castiel’s hips and yanking him forward. Castiel gasped as Dean laved over his hip bones and gripped the light brown hair to ground himself as Dean worked his belt open and pushed his jeans down to the floor.  “Commando huh? Didn’t figure you for the type.”

“Yes well,” Castiel deadpanned. “It’s laundry day.”  In reality, he just hadn’t wanted to dash back out of the bathroom with Benny still in his room when he realized that he’d neglected to take a pair in with him, but he wasn’t about to inform Dean of that. 

“Who says I’m complainin’?” Castiel could feel the grin against his leg before he saw stars from Dean taking him into his mouth.

“Jesus fuck.” Castiel fought to draw a breath as Dean worked him over, knees threatening to give out from under him. Dean gripped his ass and gave him the leverage to be able to keep standing until he finally drew back, lips shiny with spit and pre-come, a smirk on his face.

Castiel growled and shoved Dean back, crowding him as he scrambled up to the head of the bed. As Dean settled himself on the pillows, Castiel took the opportunity to reach over and rifle through the drawer Dean had indicated housed the lube and condoms. He threw both onto the bed and blanketed himself back over Dean. “Dean, sweetheart. I need to know what you want.” He ran his hands down Dean’s flanks as he waited for his answer.

“Right here is what I want, Cas. You here in my bed. Anything else is just a bonus.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sMut ahead. First time, so forgive me if its horrible, k?

Dean couldn’t catch his breath. He finally, _finally,_ had Castiel in his bed.  He’d been dreaming of this moment since the first time the wild-haired man had walked into his coffee shop.

He wanted to pinch himself and make damn sure he wasn’t dreaming.

And then, if the man wasn’t already perfect enough, Cas’d stopped and asked him what he wanted.  He was so struck dumb he answered with the first thing that had popped into his head.

And then he realized that it was the truth. He was already so far gone on this man that _this right here_ , them in his bed, was enough.

He took in a shaky breath and cupped his hands over Castiel’s jaw. “I’m serious Cas. If this is as far as we get tonight, this is enough. This is what I want. However, if you’re willing to go further,” he groaned when Castiel mouthed at his collarbone, “I’m up for that as well.”

“Good.”  Castiel started working his way down Dean’s torso, running his hands over his chest and mapping out his body with his mouth. He spent plenty of time on his nipples, something most men avoided like the plague, and Dean felt like he was being reduced to a whimpering puddle in the middle of his own damn bed. 

Dean fisted one hand in the sheets under him and threaded his other hand through Castiel’s hair to ground himself. “Cas, _fuck_ angel, your mouth.” He groaned when Castiel nipped at his hipbones – retaliation for before, he was sure – and fought to not let his hand tighten in the soft dark hair.  Castiel continued mapping out his body, moving down his legs to his feet, then traveling back up again. He settled between Dean’s legs, holding them down with his arms.  He propped his chin on his left hand and fondled Dean’s balls with the other. 

“Dean are you ok with this?” Castiel’s hand wandered down to his perineum and ghosted over the crack of his ass.  Dean nodded frantically, patting the bed down in search of the lube. “I’m going to need you to say it out loud, sweetheart.”

Dean gave a small sound of triumph when he found the lube, and as he handed it down to Castiel, he replied, “Cas, if you don’t fuck me _I’m_ going to be highly disappointed in _you_.” 

Dean watched as Castiel’s face lit up as he threw his head back and laughed.  Castiel took the lube from Dean and sat up on his elbows, snapping the cap open, and poured a generous amount onto his fingers.  As he rubbed them together to warm it up, Dean drew his knees up and bracketed Castiel’s legs with his feet.  He shot him a smirk. “Any day angel, night’s not getting any young-“ he cut himself off with a soft moan when Castiel started teasing around his rim.

Castiel’s talented fingers methodically worked him open. He added fingers as Dean relaxed until there were three fingers in his ass, scissoring and thrusting.  Castiel had his other hand on Dean’s hip, which proved to be a good thing when he found Dean’s prostate, as he couldn’t keep his hips from thrusting up and seeking out friction.

“Cas, Cas babe, _please…_ ”

Castiel reached out for the condom and ripped it open with one hand and his teeth. He managed to roll it down his length one handed but had to withdraw his fingers to slick himself up with more lube. He snapped the lid shut, tossed the bottle to the side, and gripped Dean’s legs under the knees, and drew them around his waist. As he positioned himself at Dean’s entrance, he leaned over and placed his forehead on Dean’s. Castiel caught Dean’s gaze and held it as he pushed in past the rim and stopped.  Dean gasped, arching off the bed slightly before Castiel pushed his shoulders back down to the bed.

Dean began to see fireworks behind his eyes as Castiel slid in slowly. He groped until he could grasp Castiel’s hand and twisted their fingers together, his other hand restlessly roaming up and down Castiel’s back.

Castiel’s eyes were shut tight when he bottomed out, and Dean could tell he was fighting to gain control over his body. “Angel. Cas, it’s ok, I’m not going to break.”

Castiel opened his eyes and Dean was caught in the dark gaze. “I know, sweetheart, I just don’t want this to be over too quickly.” He drew out of Dean’s body a few inches, and snapped his hips back in, drawing a gasp from Dean. And as if that had opened the floodgates, Castiel picked up a fast, hard rhythm. The sounds of flesh colliding twined with the gasps and moans from the two men, harmonizing into a symphony that Dean could see behind his eyelids.

“Dean,” Castiel gasped, “So close Dean…” He groaned and drew Dean further up his thighs, tilting his hips, searching for the one spot that would curl Dean’s toes.

“God yes, _nugh,_ right there baby…” Dean reached between them, gripping his cock and jacking himself to the same tempo as Castiel’s hips. With a few strokes and a shout, he was painting his chest and stomach with white stripes.  Castiel’s eyes were drawn to the sight, and his hips stuttered as he came buried in Dean.

Their eyes met as they both came down from their highs. Dean squeezed the hand he still had twined with his own, and brought it to his lips, ghosting a kiss across Castiel’s knuckles. “’M so glad I didn’t finish that sentence, Cas. This was _much_ better than watchin’ a movie.”

Castile huffed a laugh and shook his head.  Dean groaned as he dropped his legs down to the bed, releasing Castiel from his grip.  Castiel ran his free hand up and down Dean’s thigh as he pulled out. They finally had to release each other’s hands so Castiel could dispose of the condom.  “Where’s your bathroom, Dean?”

Dean pointed to one of the doors.  He watched as Castiel crossed the room and squinted against the bright light of the bathroom. He heard the sink running and then shut off.  The light flicked out as Castiel came back into the bedroom, washcloth in hand.

Castiel climbed back onto the bed and started wiping the mess from Dean’s body. “I can do that man.” Dean started to sit up and take the cloth from him, but Castiel just pushed him back down to the bed.

“It’s ok Dean, let me do this for you.” Dean nodded and laced their fingers together again.

“Will you stay?”

Castiel’s eyes were soft as he finished cleaning up the mess they had made and tossed the washcloth back towards the bathroom. “Yes Dean, I would like very much to stay.”

“Awesome.”  Dean tugged at Castiel’s hand until he slid down between the sheets alongside him.  Dean turned his back to Castiel and drew his arm over his stomach, wriggling back until they were flush together, chest to back. He sighed happily. “Thank you, Cas.  This was a pretty perfect night.” He brought Castiel’s hand up to his lips and kissed his knuckles again before drifting off to a dreamless sleep.

[ ](https://imgur.com/0Urlwz1)

Dean woke up the next morning snuggled up to a warm body and the feeling of fingers dragging through his hair.  He smiled and looked up, meeting the blue eyes that were watching him. “Mornin’ babe.” He yawned and rubbed his nose against Castiel’s chest. “What time izit?”

Castiel smiled.  “Just after ten.  I set an alarm just in case we ended up sleeping in.” He had known that Dean was on the one o’clock shift today. Damn, the man really _was_ perfect.

Dean slowly sat up, allowing the covers to slither down his body to pool at his waist as he stretched. “Mmm.  We’ve got time for a shower and a good breakfast assuming I’ve still got something in the ‘fridge.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Shower will fit two if you want to join me?”

After a rather handsy shower and make out session getting dressed, Dean gave Castiel a tour of his home, ending it in the kitchen. He rummaged around in his refrigerator, locating half a carton of eggs, some bacon, and a can of crescent rolls. “Hope eggs and bacon’s alright with you, it’s about all I got left.”

Castiel nodded. “That sounds lovely Dean, thank you.”

They chatted about random things while Dean cooked breakfast, scrambling up the rest of the eggs and cooking the bacon until it was almost burnt.  Castiel had located the coffee maker and grounds, and each of them was working on their second cups when the crescent rolls came out of the oven.

All in all, Dean thought to himself, it was a pretty awesome morning to follow their absolutely _fantastic_ first date.


	8. Chapter 8

Castiel and his team had been busy.  They were in the last week of October, five days before Halloween, and they had finally managed to track down where Vertigo was being manufactured.  They had called in the op request and were coordinating with the local LEOs and SWAT to hit all known associates and locations to take down the ring in one fell swoop.

And Castiel was blissfully happy.  Mostly.

He was fairly sure at this point that he wasn’t just head over heels for Dean, he was well on his way to being in love with him. 

And he still hadn’t told him why he was in Lawrence.

He sat outside while Sjaak ran around stretching his legs, watching the dog run between the bushes that lined the front of the hotel. He looked up as Cole clapped him on the shoulder and sat down next to him. “Why the long face, Boss?  We are just about ready to wrap this up.”

Castiel looked down at his hands and sighed.

Cole nodded. “You still ain’t told him yet, have you?”

Castiel shot his teammate a glare. “Don’t ask stupid questions. No, I haven’t.” He scrubbed his hands down his face. “I don’t know how to tell him without it looking like I’ve been lying to him for the last two months.”

"Well Boss, that’s gonna be a bit hard since, ya know, you _have_ been lying to him for the last two months.”

“Yes. Thank you for that astute observation, Cole.”

Cole clapped Castiel on the shoulder again and grinned. “Glad it's you and not me, Boss.” He got up from the bench, tossed Sjaak’s ball for the German Shephard to chase, and left Castiel to his thoughts.

[ ](https://imgur.com/0Urlwz1)

Halloween dawned bright and clear. The op team was geared up and checking over their weapons.  Communications checks had already been done between the team members, and they were almost ready to meet up with the locals to do last minute checks before that evening’s sting.

“Hey Boss, we got a problem.” Benny’s drawl snapped Castiel out of his thoughts. “Someone’s snitched, and apparently Alistair’s a lot god damn smarter than we gave him credit for. One of the local boys just called in a kidnapping at The Java Break.”

Castiel felt the blood drain from his face and reached out to steady himself on the wall. _Please God no,_ he thought to himself.

“Boss,” Benny spoke softly, “Boss, they took Dean.”

Castiel squeezed his eyes shut and nodded.  He cleared his throat. “Alright. Nothing changes.” He could hear protests from each of the team members but waved them into silence. “We can’t risk this to find him. Benny, get your local boy in touch with Ash.” He opened his eyes and speared the computer master with a glare. “Find him, Ash. And you let me know as soon as you do.” Ash nodded furiously, already focused on the computers in front of him and putting his Bluetooth headset on to call the police officer who had called in the information to them.

Castiel looked at the rest of his team. “We finish this tonight.” They nodded tightly at him, faces grim.  Sjaak, feeling the tension coursing through the room, whined and shoved his nose into Anna’s hand. 

They focused back on their tasks. The men checked each other’s gear over to make sure that they were suited up correctly, with no gaps in the body armor. Anna led Sjaak over to the couch and started strapping on his own gear- thin boots to protect the pads of his feet and a bullet-proof jacket strapped over his chest.  She fastened his working collar on him- a wide leather collar with a multitude of d-rings on it.  She had a special leash for ops like this; a leather leash with multiple d-rings on it so that she could shorten it to keep him close to her or let it out to its full length to allow him to search. It could also be used in a pinch to restrain a suspect.  

Once they were satisfied with their gear, each member moved over to the area where the weapons were being kept and started stowing them away, along with as much extra ammo as they could safely carry. No one wanted to be caught in a gunfight and run out of ammo if they could help it.

Finally, the team was ready. With a last farewell to Ash, they trooped downstairs and out the back door to the black van and piled in, Castiel in the passenger seat and Benny driving. The ride was quiet as they made their way to the meetup point with SWAT and the Lawrence PD.

[ ](https://imgur.com/0Urlwz1)

Hours later, each squad was reporting in to Command to report the players they had apprehended.  Castiel had watch as Vic crossed names off the board.

All but one. 

_Alistair._

And the bastard had Dean.

They interrogated the suspects that were willing to talk without representation and with dawning horror found out that Alistair was the mastermind behind the whole ring, from the manufacturing to the running.  They also found out that this wasn’t the first run of Vertigo. They had tested another product months earlier that had sent people into comas. _That_ bit of information had sent the local PD scrambling to pull previous police reports, and led to the discovery of a call out to Dean’s house and the subsequent hospitalization of his younger brother, Sam.

Castiel was _furious._

“Boss!” Benny’s voice boomed over the din of the squad room. “BOSS! Ash is on line three.  He’s got somethin’ for ya!”

Castiel snatched the phone from the cradle.  “Novak.”

“Boss, I found them. Alistair’s got Dean out at an old auto repair place, one that doubles as a car parts junk yard.” He rattled off the rest of the location as Castiel was waving his team over to him. Once Ash had given him all of the information he had, he dropped the receiver back into the cradle.

“Ash found them. Check your gear, we move in five.”

[ ](https://imgur.com/0Urlwz1)

The team moved in formation, Anna and Sjaak at point, as they swept and cleared the junk yard. They could hear the distinct sounds of fist meeting flesh as they closed in on the location where Alistair was holding Dean.

Anna stopped, holding a closed fist over her shoulder.  She knelt next to Sjaak and spoke quietly in his ear and unsnapped the leash from his collar. She made another motion with her hand, indicating to the rest of the team to spread out and get ready to breach the area.

“FBI! DROP YOUR WEAPONS AND PUT YOUR HANDS WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM.”

All hell broke loose as Sjaak shot through the doorway, careening towards Alistair. His human teammates streamed in the room behind him, splitting off to each side and sweeping the room. Shots were fired from a few of Alistair’s grunts, and a scream ripped through the air as Sjaak collided with Alistair’s arm.  Teeth sank into the flesh of the drug runner’s left forearm and tore down to the bone.  The dog’s body weight and momentum swung Alistair in a wide arc, and the sound of flesh colliding with concrete reverberated through the room. 

Castiel followed in Sjaak’s wake, sweeping into Dean’s space and checking him for injuries. “Get a medic team in here,” he growled into his throat mic as he looked Dean over. The young man was unconscious, so Castiel left his bonds alone until the medic team could look him over. He stepped around the chair that Dean was in and swept towards where Sjaak still had Alistair by the arm on the ground.

“Out, Sjaak. Good boy.” He dropped a knee in the middle of Alistair’s back, keeping him pinned as he yanked his arms behind him and started reciting Miranda rights to him as he cuffed him.

He let the SWAT team member manhandle Alistair onto his feet and lead him away and turned back to Dean as the paramedics rushed in with their gear.  He made sure to stay out of their way as they cut him free from his bounds and laid him out on the backboard, securing a neck brace under his chin. He let his team know that he was going with Dean to the hospital through his mic and climbed in the ambulance after they had loaded him, Sjaak hot on his heels.


	9. Chapter 9

Dean hurt _everywhere_.

He was laying in a bed, and from the sterile smells, he figured he was in a hospital. There was cool air rushing into his nose and he reached a hand up to tug at the cannula.

A warm hand rested on his, stopping him from tugging the tube away. “Leave it, Dean, it’s ok, you’re ok now.”  Dean opened his eyes to a dimly lit room and turned his head.

“Cas?”

Castiel’s face came into focus, with Charlie hovering behind him. “Hello, Dean.”

“Great costume, Cas.” He coughed and tried to shift his weight until he realized his legs were pinned to the bed. He looked down to where the pressure on his legs was and his eyes widened. “Why is there a dog on my legs?”

Castiel laughed. “Meet Sjaak. He’s one of my team members and quite forcefully bullied his way in to meet you.”

Dean weakly waved at the mass of fur at the foot of his bed. “Wait, team?” He looked at Castiel in confusion. “What team? What are you talking about?”

Castiel sighed and guilt chased across his face. “Dean, I’m with the FBI. I’ve been running a task force to take out a drug ring here in Lawrence that’s been distributing a drug called Vertigo. You were taken by the ringmaster tonight because of your connection to me. Alistair was hoping to use you to get away.” He patted Sjaak’s flank. “Thanks to Sjaak though, we were able to keep him from doing so.”

Dean felt like his head was spinning. “So, wait, you’ve been lying to me this whole time? You’re a _Fed_?” He scrubbed his hand through his hair and sighed. “No, I can’t be mad about that, not if you were here undercover, which I assume you were?” He looked up to see Castiel nodding. “Ok, well. In the interest of full disclosure, I’m pretty sure that I do know someone personally that’s been affected by Vertigo.”

“We know Dean. Some of the lowlifes we rounded up tonight told us about the first trial that sent people into comas and that prompted Lawrence PD to inform us of those other cases- including Sam’s.”

Dean sighed, and Charlie yelped. “What the fuck Dean? I thought Sam was back in Palo Alto!”

Dean shook his head and told them the full story. Charlie’s face was stormy when he finished, but she didn’t lash out at him like he had expected her to.

“Alright, you dense-brained idiot of a handmaiden. I forgive you.” She smacked his arm. “But if you do something like this ever again, I will make you a ghost, do you hear me?”

Dean chuckled weakly and nodded. “Yes, your majesty.” Dean looked at Castiel. “So now what’s next for you, Cas? Are you going to be leaving?” He could feel his heart trying to crawl its way up his throat at the thought.

Castiel sighed. “For a little while, yes. We have to wrap up the rest of this case in Kansas City at the regional office.” He reached out and took Dean’s hand and squeezed it. “The locals have asked for us to open a local office here, and I think we can get the regional heads to approve it.  And I’ll be out here every chance I get, it’s only about an hour drive. I may even just relocate here if the region doesn’t let us open an office here.” Castiel leaned over and cupped Dean’s cheek. “I don’t plan on leaving you Dean, not unless you ask me to go.”

Dean’s breath caught in his throat and he could feel tears swimming in his eyes. “Ok Cas, alright.” He squeezed Castiel’s hand back and felt the pressure in his chest ease slightly.

Sjaak huffed and wriggled his way up the bed along Dean’s legs and nosed under their clasped hands. They laughed when he plopped his chin down on Dean’s chest and let out a gusty sigh. “Somethin’ tells me that if Sjaak here had his way, yall’d never leave.”

Sjaak just grumbled and shifted until he was comfortable as possible against Dean’s side. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap! Some notes:
> 
> They figure out a cure for Sam, and he finally comes out of what essentially was a medically induced coma. Jess is still smitten with him.  
> Sjaak is based on a real-life Military Working Dog that I had the pleasure of serving with at Osan Air Base, South Korea. Sadly, he died due to GDV- a situation where the stomach flips and bloats. We did everything we could to save him, but GDV is quick and we just didn't get him the help he needed in time. Still miss you buddy.  
> Charlie totally gets scouted by the FBI.


End file.
